Huaraz vs Lima
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Lima edges it, 63 to 53, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Huaraz is stronger on air quality; Lima on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Trekking capital of the Cordillera Blanca at 3,050 m
Full Huaraz profile →Where to stay in Huaraz →Coastal capital with a world-famous food scene
Full Lima profile →Where to stay in Lima →Where they differ
- Climate. Lima leads on climate, 100 to 0, against Huaraz. Comfortable months: 0 vs 12.
- Air quality. Huaraz leads on air quality, 75 to 62, against Lima. PM2.5: 16.3 µg/m³ vs 22.2 µg/m³.
- Cost of living. Lima leads on cost of living, 54 to 48, against Huaraz. Monthly cost, one person: $1,350 vs $1,178.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Huaraz if you want
- cleaner air
Pick Lima if you want
- to spend about $172 less a month
- faster internet (29.4 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (12 months against 0)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 48 | 54 ✓ |
| Safety | 44 | 44 |
| Healthcare | 62 | 62 |
| Internet | 65 | 67 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 75 | 75 |
| Getting there & around | 57 ✓ | 52 |
| Climate | 0 | 100 ✓ |
| Air quality | 75 ✓ | 62 |
| Quality of life | 55 | 55 |
Cost
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,350 | $1,178 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.9 | 56.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 68 | 68 |
| Life expectancy | 71.7 yrs | 71.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 25.2 Mbps | 29.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 23 Mbps ✓ | 20 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 69 ✓ | 68 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Huaraz | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 12 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 22.2 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Huaraz or Lima?
- Lima is cheaper: about $1,178 per month versus $1,350 for one person.
- Is Huaraz or Lima safer?
- Huaraz scores higher on safety (44 vs 44), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Huaraz or Lima?
- Lima: a measured median of 29.4 Mbps versus 25.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.